Father Browning's Podcast: Recent Episodes
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The first Sunday of Lent always begins with the temptations of Jesus in the desert. Jesus is going to conquer the temptations of the devil, which Adam and Eve failed to resist, by being obedient to the Father. By the disobedience of one man sin entered the world and by the obedience of one man Jesus will all be made righteous. Enter the battle of the desert with Jesus.
Jesus raises the bar to the level of the heart and gives us the grace to fulfill it. We have to surrender our weakness to Him. We can’t do it on our own. Surrender to Him today.
The Lord fulfills the Law raising it to a higher level. But He also gives the grace to follow it. Have no fear. He loves you let Him and you won't be the same.
Candlemas is the celebration of the Lord coming to His Temple and being the light in the darkness. When we practice our faith we become a light in the darkness. We can find redemption in our sufferings when we unite them to Christ.
Our Gospel today presents to us Simeon and Anna as examples of the fulfillment of being who God wants us to be. Live every moment for the Lord and according to His purposes and you will grow in holiness.
Pope Francis declared the Third Sunday of Ordinary Time Word of God Sunday. The power of God's Word has the ability to transform our lives. Let us pray with it daily.
Rejoice for the Lord is near! Joy is available to the Christian who knows the Lord is near. Invite Jesus into every part of your life and know that He is close to you in all things.
Advent means "coming." We can distinguish three comings of Christ - in the flesh (first coming), in glory (second coming), and by grace (third coming). This third coming by grace happens in the sacramental life of the Church and prayer. It is available to us at all times and it is how we remain awake and prepared to celebrate Jesus' coming in the flesh and in glory.
Christ is King of the Universe and wants us to choose Him as King of every part of our lives. He's is with you always. Choose Him today as your King!
This talk covers some questions that were submitted by my parishioners. I took their questions and drew out what I thought were some truths that would help build a foundation for a prayer life. Such as:Who is God? We need to know the One to whom we pray.What is prayer?How do I pray?How do I deal with distractions?How do I pray with faith and trust?What if I am mad at God?I hope you find some of it helpful in your prayer life.
Jesus tells us not even the beauty of the Temple will remain. Do we seek what will remain when we are called to stand before Jesus after death? What remains is grace (the very divine life of God given to us). Seek to fill your life with grace by a fervent sacramental life, a life of virtue, and a life of prayer. Everything is will be thrown down.
There is no marriage in Heaven because marriage is God's image of what He desires for each one of us - to be united to Him. He has shown us what to believe and what to do or not do to cooperate with His gift. It reminds our choice.
The encounter of Zaccheus with the love of Jesus is life-changing. Any time we encounter the love of Jesus we are changed. He seeks us out as He sought out Zaccheus. Let us seek to see Jesus and respond to His invitation to dine with Him. Let Him enter your heart and clean up the wounds of sin. Give your heart to Him today! Prayers.
All Saints Day reminds us of the universal call to holiness. Let's strive to be saints (those who are with God in Heaven). Enkindle your desire for it by these two prayers. "Lord, help me love you more today." "Lord, make me a saint."
The parable of the Pharisee and the tax collector shows us the need to be humble (not to think less of ourselves but to think about ourselves less) in our relationship with God. We need to realize that He is God and we are not. We should desire to give our lives to Him. Let us know that we are sinners, and at the same time trust that we are loved. God bless you.
In the second part of the Purgative Way, we finish our discussion on the active purification we have begun.- Maintaining a stable life in the Church- Temptations and Trials- The Dark Night of the Senses (the transition from Purgative to the Illuminative): this is God's purification of the senses to prepare us for a deeper more stable life of faith. Handouts can be found here.
Gratitude is the key to salvation. Everything we have is a gift. The Daily Examen prayer is a great way to become more aware of the graces received throughout the day. See here. God bless,Fr. Browning
Faith believes all that God reveals to us as necessary for salvation as taught by the Church. Faith is also growing in trust in the love of God. God's love is beyond our understanding. God's love, forgives, heals, and transforms. God loves you in your brokenness, your weakness, and your sin. He doesn't love your sin, but He loves you in it. When we let Him love us precisely in our mess, He begins to transform us. So, where do you need to let God love you?
Some Gospels make us uncomfortable. In the parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus, we see the Biblical Worldview on display. At the end of our lives, there is Heaven or Hell. The choice is ours and is determined by our daily choices. We are responsible for what we do and what we have failed to do. This Gospel makes us think about the sins of omission we should confess, and the next step we should take with the Lord. This week let us love God above all things and our neighbor as ourself. Who is the Lazarus in your life? How should you love that person this week?
The Why?: The Spiritual Life (The Purgative Way, Part 1)God calls us to holiness. The journey to God and the path to holiness are challenging and yet fulfilling. This talk is the beginning of the pilgrimage. It discusses what it looks like to go through a conversion or awakening to the life of grace. It details the next steps of purification that leads us along that journey. There are many practical insights from the great Doctors of the Church to help us along the way.In the next talk, we will finish up the essential elements of the purgative way and see how it is that God brings us to the Illuminative Way. I hope you enjoy and benefit greatly.
Parables are stories with a twist. This week's parable has quite the twist. Let us see our situation with a clear vision and put a plan into action. Take what God has given you (absolutely everything) and use it to pay down others' debts and you will gain for yourself an eternal inheritance. Give alms, be merciful, share your faith, pray for others, walk with them in discipleship - this is being a good steward of God's gifts.
The great parables of the joy of Heaven at repentance. The parable of the two sons is really about the Father's love for us. Entrust yourself to the love of the Father daily through prayer. Know that all things work for the good for those who love God and are called to His purpose. The Father is good, merciful, and full of love for you. Believe it!
Jesus gives us almost disturbing challenge this week. Being a disciple of Jesus requires full commitment. We must not have any other person or thing before Jesus. Jesus claims this commitment to Himself because He is God. He knows that our happiness and holiness requires this primary commitment to Him. It reorders our lives and our loves. When the love of God is the center of our lives, everything else takes its proper place. In this reality, we find freedom, joy, and peace. Is Jesus the center of our lives?
Humility is a difficult virtue but essential for growth in virtue as it is the foundation of virtue. It is not being a doormat or hating yourself. True humility is recognizing that we have received all things from God and should use His gifts to give glory to Him and serve our neighbor in selfless love.
Jesus responds to a question about salvation. He directs us to strive to enter through the narrow gate and to not spend time wondering about questions that do not help us. The life of discipleship requires daily commitment: "pick up your cross daily and follow me." This week invite Jesus into every aspect of your life and let Him show how to strive.Photo by Anuja Mary on Unsplash
Jesus wants to set our hearts on fire with His Love. He wants to make us holy. He is calling us to be saints in the midst of the world. We have a universal call to holiness. Will you respond to Him today?
The Eucharist is Jesus - Body, Blood, Soul, & Divinity. He loves us. He wants to be united with us. He wants to be close to us. Give your heart to Jesus in the Eucharist. Make Him your treasure.
Jesus often calls us to live with purpose and vigilance. We should place our treasure in so our heart will be there too. Are you living for Jesus? Are you the good and faithful steward of the gifts God has given you? These are questions that should guide our daily lives.
Everything is a gift. Every gift must be used for God's purposes. This will help us be detached from worldly things and rich in the things of God, who desires to give us eternal life.
Jesus teaches His disciples to pray. There is much to meditate on in this Gospel. Pray with it this week. In today's homily, I speak about the importance our image of God and our worldview play in growing in prayer and trust. Give it a listen.